Rail anchor



May 26, 1925. M. w. FEENEY RAIL ANCHOR Filed March l9, 1921 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,539,386 PATENT OFFIQE.

MICHAEL W. FEENEY, or ROCHESTER, new YORK, essrenoa TO ANCHOR comma, or carcass, rumors, A coaroearron or rumors.

nai ANCHOR.

Application filed March 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL TV. FEENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail anchors.

An object of the invention is to provide an efficient, positive tilting rail anchor, which when supported by the rail base will increasingly grip the same as the rail tends to creep.

Another object is to provide an improved anchor which may be readily and firmly applied to a rail.

Another object is to provide a rail anchor which may be readily adjusted and positioned on a rail.

Another object is to provide an improved anchor employing adjustable attaching means whereby the anchor may be readily positioned on and rigidly fastened to a rail.

Another object is to provide a simple, lightweight, efficient anchor which may be economically manufactured.

- Other objects and advantages will l1erein after appear.

The views of the drawings are:

Figure 1 is a perspective of the rail anchor with the attaching means therefor separated therefrom.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the anchor applied to a rail.

Figure 3 is a top plan of the anchor applied to a rail.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the anchor applied to a rail.

The anchor has upper and lower jaws 1 and 2, a leg 3 and a foot 4, and a bolt or attacher 5 for attaching the same to the rail base. The jaws, leg and foot of the anchor may be cast integrally from malleable iron or steel, while the attacher may be formed separately from similar material.

The anchor may be applied to the side of the rail with the jaws embracing the rail base flange 6, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, the upper jaw 1 being above, and the lower jaw 2 being below the flange.

The leg 3, extending downwardly from and at an angle to the jaws, is provided with the foot 4 near its lower end for abutting the tie as the rail tends to creep, and thus acting as a fulcrum on which the anchor Serial No. 453,693.

may tilt. The engaging surface of the foot 4 forward of the upper end of the leg 3, so that the upper end is free to move after movement of the lower end, or foot 4, is arrested by engagement thereof with a tie. The anchor is accordingly free to tilt with the foot 1 acting as a fulcrum.

The jaws 1 and 2, and the leg 3 with its foot 4, form the anchor proper, and are arranged to take the stress of the creepage. A reinforcing web 7 extends between the lower jaw 2 and the leg 3. The forward end of the upper jaw 1 and the rear end of the lower jaw 2may be enlarged so as to give them increased strength where they impinge upon the rail base flange.

The anchor is attached to and maintained in position on. the rail base by means of the bolt or attacher 5 havingat one end a jaw 8 for engaging the rail base flange 9 and having its other end threaded for re ceiving a nut. The shank of the bolt extends transversely to' the length of the rail at anangle thereto, while the threadedend thereof extends through an aperture in the reinforcing web 7. The threaded end of the bolt 5 is arranged to receive a nut 10 whereby, after the anchor has been applied to the rail and the bolt arranged in the position shown in Figure 2, the nut may be tightened and thus securely fasten the anchor to the rail. A pad 11 may be pro vided on the web 7 around the aperture therein for insuring a smooth surface against whichthe nut 10 may be seated; this pad also serves to strengthen the web. The web is further strengthened by a similar pad on the opposite side thereof.

The jaw or hook 8 may be formed by flattening and bending an end of the bolt, thus providing a larger bearing surface where it contacts with the rail base flange 9.

When the rail tends to creep in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4:, the bolt 5 causes the anchor to be carried along with the rail until the foot 4 of the depending leg 3 engages a tie. Upon further tendency of the rail to creep, the up per end or jaws of the anchor is moved forward, but the lower end or foot 4 is retarded. The anchor is accordingly tilted on the fulcrum formed by foot 4:, so that the forward end of jaw 1 impinges upon the upper surface of the rail base flange 6 and the rear end of jaw 2 impinges upon the lower surface of this rail base flange. The base is thus firmly gripped between the jaws :of the anchor. The more the rail tends to creep, the tighter the jaws grip the base.

The bolt serves to prevent longitudinal movement of the anchor along the rail, and, therefore, insures positive tilting thereof.

After the jaws have gripped the rail base flange, the attaching means or bolt-5 is re- W lieved of the stress of creepage, which is thereafter borne by the rail base, the jaws and the leg of the anchor. The bolt or attaching means may, therefore, be comparatively small, since it is subjected to very f1 little strain.

Since no preliminary preparation of the rail is necessary when applyingand attaching an anchor thereto, the labor and cost of :so applying and attaching the anchor are reduced. Furthermore, the position of the anchor-with respect toa tie maybe very accurately adjusted, since the hook of the bolt may griptheirail base flange9 at any point along its length, and-the bolt may be attached after the anchor has been applied to the rail.

While but one embodiment hasbeen shown and described, it is obvious that the invention contained herein is susceptible of other H0 embodimentsand adaptations.

The invention claimed is:.

1. A rail anchor comprising a pair of jaws for gripping .a rail base flange and having their surfaces of engagement with opposite faces of the rail base extending longitudinally :of the rail, a depending leg for engaging a cross-tie to tilt the "jaws to cause them to increasingly grip the flange as the railtends to creep, and means extending' under the rail and transversely to the length thereof for engaging the other rail base flange and having less extent longitudinally of therail' than thejaws whereby the anchor isheld against displacement andpositive tilting of the jaws isinsured.

9.. A rail anchor comprising a pair of jaws for gripping therebetween a rail base flange, a depending legto .cause .the jaws to grip the flange increasingly when the leg 0 abuts a tie as the rail tends to creep, a

strengthening web extending .between the leg and the jaws, and fastening means extending -between thestrengthening web and the other rail base flange and having a nut on one end. thereof for drawing the jaws into firm engagement with the rail base whereby when the leg abuts a tie the an- ,other rail base leg abuts .a tie displacement and positive tilting of the an- .chor aws is nsured when .the leg abuts a tie.

aws for engaging and1increasingly grlpping a ran base ,flange when tilted,a depending leg for abutting a tie to tilt the jaws asthe rail tends to creep, a strengthening web extending between the leg and the jaws, and an .attacher arranged to engage the other rail base flange and extending transversely under the rail at an angle thereto and engaging the strengthening web for holding the anchor in place and positively insuring the tilting of the jaws.

Arail anchor comprisinga pair'of aws for engaging and'increasingly gripping a rail-'base'flange when tilted, adepending leg for abuttinga tie to tiltthe jaws as the rail tends to creep,,a strengthening web extending between the leg and the lower jaw, and

an adjustable attacher having a hook for engaging the other rail base flange and arranged to extend transversely to the length of the rail and'to engageithe strengthening web wherebythe anchor is held in place and positive tilting of the jawsis insured.

6. A rail anchor comprisinga pair of jaws for engaging and increasingly gripping a rail base flange when tilted, a depending leg for abutting a tie to tilt the jaws as the rail tends to creep, a strengtheningweb extending between theleg andthe jaws, andan attacher arranged to extend through the strengthening web and having at one end a hook for engaging the other rail base'flange and having its other end arranged to receive a nut whereby when the glegabuts a tie the anchor is held against displacement and positivetilting ofthe aws is insured.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. I

MICHAEL WV. FEENEY.

4-, A rail anchor comprising a pair of 

